Julius Röntgen – A romantic symphonist

It was not a quick and easy decision to add this recording of Röntgen (1855 – 1932) symphonies to my blog. I’ve listened to the recording many times. The problem has been that there are some sections of music that seemed to lag in terms of effectiveness. But there is so much here that is really beautiful, powerful and moving that in the end, I could not pass it up.

The only currently available recordings of Julius Röntgen’s symphonic oeuvre are on the cpo label. They are all conducted by David Porcelijn leading three different orchestras. In this recording of symphonies numbered 5, 6 & 19, Mr. Porcelijn leads the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra. Each of the three symphonies differs in some structural ways from the others. The Sixth is in one movement and the orchestra is joined by the vocal ensemble Consensus Vocalis; the Nineteenth, purely orchestral, is in five movements, and the Fifth is in three movements with the choir appearing again as well as tenor soloist Marcel Beekman.

Röntgen’s music is an outgrowth of the German Romantic tradition of Schumann and Brahms, with added outside influences that include Dvorak, Saint-Saens and even Rimsky-Korsakov. The music is tonal and melodic. I’ll talk just a little about Symphony no 5, which is last on the CD and my favorite of the lot.

The score for the Fifth Symphony was only discovered in 2005. It was one of a series of works that Röntgen wrote in response to the horrific events of WW I. It opens with the trombones and trumpets intoning, in the manner of a fanfare, the melody that the tenor soloist will so lyrically sing two movements later. This fanfare provides the thematic material for the entire movement (and in fact, the symphony), which Röntgen masterfully develops. After the beautiful slow middle movement – which especially is what reminded me of Rimsky-Korsakov- the third and final movement opens mysteriously with an altered version of the symphony’s opening theme, leading up to the poignant entrance of the tenor soloist and chorus. The text is of self-resignation and of coming to terms with death, which “opens heaven to everything that is mortal.” Each of the some dozen times that I have heard this, I’ve felt the same chills that only wonderful music can bring.

The more I listened to this CD, the more I enjoyed it. In the end, it’s an easy recommendation for anyone who doesn’t know these symphonies, and a warm hearted recommendation for the beautiful Fifth.

Album Overview

Our comprehensive and successful Röntgen edition continues with yet another new release, and these symphonies once again show us Julius Röntgen as Holland’s most highly imaginative composer of the late nineteenth century and first half of the twentieth century. His Symphony No. 5 (1926) and Choral Symphony No. 6 (1928) to song texts of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries inaugurated his productive late symphonic oeuvre. Both works are based on traditional melodies and represent fully dimensioned, impressive vocal works. His Symphony No. 19 on B. A.C. H. rounds off the CD. From 1875 to1895 Röntgen himself had performed many works by Bach as a pianist and violinist and above all as a conductor. His two Piano Sonatas on B. A.C. H. from 1927 also demonstrate that Bach continued to influence his composing. He must have felt the need to write a major work about and with Bach, and in 1931 he completed his Bach symphony in a mere two weeks. The powerful strings intone the B. A.C. H theme at the beginning and then immediately pass it on to other instruments. The motif is repeatedly heard, and in the »Fugue« the composer very soon verges on the limits of tonality. A listening must!

The German-Dutch composer, Julius Röntgen, was the son of the Dutch violinist Engelbert Röntgen – the leader of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig – and the German pianist Pauline Klengel. He was taught the piano by… read more

David Porcelijn

Conductor: David Porcelijn

David Porcelijn became chief conductor of the Sønderjyllands Symfoniorkester, Denmark, in September 2010. He is one of the most outstanding Dutch musicians of his generation. A most highly regarded… read more

“Not just recommended. Guaranteed.”
We stand behind every album featured on Expedition Audio. Our objective is to take the monetary risk out of music exploration.
If you order this album from HBDirect.com and do not like it you can return it for a refund.

For a taste of Röntgen’s music, here is an excerpt from his Violin Concerto.